Coreopsis plant named &#39;Proise&#39;

ABSTRACT

The present  Coreopsis  variety was created during a controlled plant breeding program. A compact and bushy growth habit is displayed. Attractive, large burgundy to purple daisy-type inflorescences are formed in abundance with near white apices on the ray florets during warm growing conditions. The dark green foliage coloration contrasts nicely with the blossom coloration. Excellent resistance to powdery mildew has been displayed during observations to date. The plant is a perennial and has been observed to be hardy to at least U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone No. 5. The plant can be grown to advantage as attractive ornamentation in parks, gardens, and residential settings.

Botanical/commercial classification: Coreopsis hybrida/Tickseed Plant.

Varietal denomination: cv. Proise.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of Coreopsis sometimes bear a common name such as Tickseed, and are recognized to be ornamental herbaceous plants for landscape or container uses.

The new variety of Coreopsis hybrid was created from an ongoing controlled breeding program in 2010 in Hubbardston, Mass., U.S.A. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new varieties having superior attributes that are long-lived, exhibit a perennial habit to at least U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone No. 5, and display an array of attractive flower colorations and plant forms. The female parent (i.e., the seed parent) of the new variety was an unnamed, unreleased, and non-patented Coreopsis plant designed Q2 09-7. Pollen used for the cross was pooled from a mixture of unnamed, unreleased, and non-patented Coreopsis plants that displayed limited fertility with the formation of a limited quantity of pollen. The exact male parent that contributed to the origin of the new cultivar is unknown.

It was found that the new Coreopsis plant displays the following combination of characteristics:

-   -   (a) displays a compact and bushy growth habit,     -   (b) displays in abundance attractive large burgundy to purple         inflorescences with near white apices on the ray florets during         warm growing conditions,     -   (c) exhibits excellent resistance to powdery mildew, and     -   (d) is hardy to at least U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone No. 5.

The expressed combination of characteristics enables the new cultivar to be readily distinguished from the ‘Mercury Rising’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,689). More specifically, the new cultivar commonly displays a larger flower size and a more compact growth habit. Also, the new cultivar under warm growing temperatures tends to develop more uniformly and to a greater degree more near white/yellow coloration on the upper petal surfaces at the apices than the ‘Mercury Rising’ cultivar.

The new cultivar can be grown in the ground or in a container to provide attractive ornamentation in parks, gardens, and residential settings.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar in a controlled environment by the rooting of vegetative cuttings has been conducted at West Grove, Pa., U.S.A. It has been demonstrated that the combination of characteristics of the new cultivar is firmly fixed and is well retained in succeeding generations. Accordingly, the new cultivar can be asexually reproduced in a true-to-type manner. The new cultivar also can be asexually propagated by division.

The new cultivar has been named ‘Proise’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate typical flowering plants of the new variety at an age of approximately two years. The plants had been asexually reproduced by the use of vegetative cuttings and were growing outdoors on its own roots in the ground in full sun during June 2014 at West Grove, Pa., U.S.A.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of the colors described herein is the R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England (1995 Edition). The plants had been asexually reproduced by the rooting of vegetative cuttings, were approximately two years of age, and were observed during June while growing in containers at West Grove, Pa., U.S.A.

FIG. 1 shows a close view of the attractive burgundy to purple florescences of the new cultivar where in the ray florets display near white apices.

FIG. 2 shows the compact and bushy growth habit of flowering plants of the new cultivar.

-   Botanical classification: Coreopsis hybrida. -   Cultivar: Proise. -   Plant:     -   -   Habit.—Vigorous herbaceous perennial, compact and bushy,             clump-forming with sturdy stems and an upright and spreading             canopy.         -   Height.—Approximately 50 cm on average. This compares to             approximately 63 cm on average for the ‘Rising Mercury’             cultivar under the same growing conditions.         -   Width.—Approximately 65 cm on average. This compares to             approximately 67.5 cm on average for the ‘Rising Mercury’             cultivar under the same growing conditions.         -   Branching.—Highly branched, commonly with approximately 10             basal branches on average and approximately 2 to 5 secondary             branches on average.         -   Branch internodes.—Arise opposite at nodes, variable, and             typically approximately 6 cm in length.         -   Stem shape.—Substantially round and wiry.         -   Stem length.—Main stems commonly are approximately 20 cm in             length on average with laterals of approximately 9 cm in             length (excluding peduncles).         -   Stem diameter.—Main stems commonly are approximately 7 mm in             diameter on average.         -   Stem texture.—Glabrous when young and commonly ridged with             minute generally translucent pubescence when mature.         -   Stem color.—Near Green Group 137A.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, fine, and well branched. -   Foliage:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, single, sessile.         -   Configuration.—Simple with tri-fid and five-fid upper             leaves, lanceolate, and with lanceolate secondary lobes.         -   Length.—Variable, up to approximately 14 cm in length on             average, and secondary lobes commonly average approximately             4 cm in length.         -   Width.—Variable, and up to 2.5 cm in width for a primary             lobe, and secondary lobes commonly are approximately 1.3 cm             in width on average.         -   Apex.—Narrowly acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Primarily entire with some leaves having secondary             lobes often disposed substantially horizontal to the primary             lobe.         -   Texture.—Dull with fine pubescence on the upper and under             surfaces commonly combined with slight undulation.         -   Venation.—Non-conspicuous, pinnate, and of substantially the             same coloration as the foliage on both surfaces, near Green             Group 137B.         -   Color.—Young leaves: near Green Group 137A on the upper             surface, and near Green Group 137B on the under surface. —             mature leaves: near Green Group 137A on the upper surface,             and near Green Group 137A on the under surface. -   Flower description:     -   -   Quantity.—When grown in a one-gallon container commonly 90             flowers are displayed at a time.         -   Bud shape.—Generally spherical.         -   Bud size.—Approximately 9 mm in length and diameter on             average.         -   Bud color.—Near Yellow Group 7A, and covered with bracts of             Yellow-Green Group 146A and 146B.         -   Flower appearance.—Large daisy-type composite inflorescence             form with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets and disc             florets at the center forming a radiant head. Inflorescences             are borne on terminals arising from leaf axils.         -   Lastingness.—Commonly approximately one week until             senescence of ray florets while disc florets and bracts tend             to be persistent.         -   Flowering response.—Under normal conditions, plants flower             from June to August in southeastern Pennsylvania, U.S.A.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—Commonly up to about 6.5 cm on             average when fully open.         -   Inflorescence depth.—Commonly up to approximately 1.2 cm on             average when open.         -   Disc.—Commonly up to approximately 1.3 cm in diameter on             average.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly acrid when crushed.         -   Ray florets.—Aspect: held slightly cupped upward when             opening and becoming nearly horizontal at maturity, and             emarginated in three longitudinal sections with the central             section being the longest. — shape: broadly oblanceolate. —             length: approximately 2.5 cm on average. — width:             approximately 1 cm on average. — apex: notched. — base:             broadly cuneate. — margin: entire. — texture: glabrous on             both surfaces, and sterile. — number: approximately eight             arranged in a single whorl. — color when fully open: under             warm growing conditions on the upper surfaces are near             Red-Purple Group 59A blending to near Yellow Group 4D at the             apices and on the under surface near Yellow Group 11C, and             under cool growing conditions on the upper surfaces are near             Red-Purple Group 59C and on the under surfaces near Yellow             Group 11C suffused with Red-Purple Group 59A away from the             apex. The new cultivar under warm growing conditions has             been found to develop more uniformly on the upper petal             surfaces at the petal apices more near white/yellow             coloration than the ‘Mercury Rising’ cultivar. Also, upper             petal apices of the ‘Mercury Rising’ cultivar to the extent             lightened in coloration have been observed to be near Yellow             Group 2B.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: massed at the center of the             inflorescence. — shape: tubular, fused at the base, and             flared at the apex. — length: commonly approximately 6 mm on             average. — width: commonly approximately 1.3 mm on average             at the base. — color near Yellow-Green Group 153A when             immature, near Yellow-Orange Group 17B when fully open,             becoming near Brown Group 200D when dried as the ray florets             drop. The base is near Yellow-Green Group 144D with a flared             portion of near Yellow-Orange Group 17D and somewhat             translucent.         -   Reproductive organs.—Location: androecium and gynoecium             present only among disc florets. — stamen number: five per             floret fused into a tube surrounding the style. — anther             size: approximately 3 mm in length on average, and             approximately 0.7 mm in width on average. — anther color:             near Greyed-Orange Group 165A. — pollen quantity: sparsely             produced during observations to date. — pistil number: one             per floret. — pistil length: approximately 4 mm on average.             — style appearance: very fine. — style color: near             Yellow-Green Group 152D and somewhat translucent. — stigma             shape: bifid and pilose, with recurved branches             approximately 1.5 mm in length. — stigma color commonly near             Yellow-Orange Group 17B. — ovary size: commonly             approximately 2 mm in length on average, and approximately 1             mm in width on average. — ovary color: near Yellow-Green             Group 145D. — receptacle size: approximately 2 mm in depth             on average and approximately 4 cm in diameter on average. —             receptacle color: near Yellow-Green Group 144D. —             seeds/fruit: none encountered during observation to date.         -   Involucral bracts.—Number commonly in two rows of eight. —             arrangement: the outer bracts are unfused and somewhat             reflexed when the flower is fully open and becoming             substantially horizontal after the ray florets drop. The             inner bracts overlap and surround the receptacle in a             campanulate form with the apical portion unfused and             spreading and held close to the ray florets. — shape: the             outer bracts are lanceolate and the free portions of the             inner bracts are broadly lanceolate. — size: outer bracts             commonly up to 6 mm in length and 2 mm in width at the             widest point, and inner bracts approximately 1 cm in length             and 3 mm in width with a free portion approximately 8 mm in             length and approximately 3 mm in width. — apex: narrowly             acute on outer bracts and apiculate on inner bracts. —             texture: outer bracts are puberulent and the inner bracts             are waxy. — margins: entire on the inner and outer bracts. —             color outer bracts are near Green Group 138A on both             surfaces, the fused portion of the inner bracts is near             Yellow-Green Group 147B, the unfused portion of the inner             bracts is near Yellow-Green Group 147B, and the center, apex             and margin are near Yellow-Green Group 153B.         -   Peduncles.—Strength: relatively strong. — size: commonly             approximately 9 cm in length on average, and approximately             1.5 mm in diameter on average. — texture: glabrous. — color             commonly near Green Group 137A. -   Disease resistance: Excellent with respect to powdery mildew during     observations to date. This resistance has been observed to exceed     that commonly displayed by other large-flowered Coreopsis     grandiflora plants grown under the same conditions. -   Hardiness: Hardy to at least U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone No. 5 (e.g.,     Nos. 5 to 9) during observations to date. -   Propagation: Through the rooting of vegetative cuttings, or by     division. -   Plants of the new ‘Proise’ cultivar have not been observed under all     possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is     possible that the phenotypic expression may vary somewhat with     changes in light intensity and duration, cultural practices, and     other environmental conditions. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Coreopsis plant having the following combination of characteristics: (a) displays a compact and bushy growth habit, (b) displays in abundance large burgundy to purple inflorescences with near white apices on the ray florets during warm growing conditions, (c) exhibits excellent resistance to powdery mildew, and (d) is hardy to at least U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone No. 5; substantially as illustrated and described. 